Clothes-clamp



rs raras 1 OFFICE.

W. H. TOWERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-CLAMP.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. TOWERS, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Clothes-Clamps; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l, is a perspective view of the improved clothes clamp. F ig. 2,is an elevation of ditto. Fig. 3, is another elevation of ditto,attached to a line, showing the manner in which it secures the clothesupon the same.

fliers the same letters occur in the figures they indicate correspondingparts.

This invention and improvement consists in forming slits in the upperportion of clothes clamps, on either side of the center slit in whichthe clothes are clamped, in such a manner as to give an increased degreeof elasticity to the clamp near the apex of said lower center slit, andenable the clamping jaws to be opened by pressing the upper portions ofthe clamp, outside the upper slits, together, to receive and firmlyimpin'ge the clothes upon the line between grooves in the jaws, and todetach the jaws therefrom, without soiling the clothes.

This clothes clamp may be made of the rectangular form represented, orround after the manner of the ordinary clothes pin, and hasconcave-grooves A, formed on the sides of its lower tapering slit B, forenabling the elastic pressure of the clamping jaws C, to be exertedabove and below, as well as at the extreme sides o f the line, andthereby cause the clothes to be impinged more firmly around the linethan if the sides of the slit were plain, and prevent the clamp beingdisengaged from the clothes and line by the action of the wind or othercause. The upper' slits D, are made of a reverse taper to that of thelower one B, and extend from the upper end of the clamp to near thecenter of the same, their lower ends being situated about midway betweenthe lower center slit and the outside of the clamp, so as to leave asuflicient body of material between the three slits t-o give the properdegree of elasticity to the lower clamping jaws C, as well as strengthin the tongue piece D, above the center slit, and such a body ofmaterial outside, as to form stiE parallel prongs, D2, which, whenpressed together, so as to close the slits D, between them and thetongue, and open the lower jaws, C, act after the manner of levers, ofwhich the elastic portions of the clamp between the ends of the threeslits, are the fulcrums, and the jaws t-he points of purchase.

In securing clothes to the line, the lower jaws are extended to theirfullest extent, by pressing the prongs D2, together between theforefinger and thumb, and after being placed over the clothes, thegrooves A, on their inner sides are allowed to spring upon and press theclothes against the corresponding rounded sides of thev line. Indetaching the clamp the prongs D2, are pressed together in like manner,so as to clear the grooved jaws C from contact with the clothes, beforeremoving it therefrom.

Instead of forming two slits as above, one only may be made, immediatelyabove the lower slit of t-he clamping jaws, and the tongue dispensedwith, a sufficient space being left between the ends of the two slits toprevent the body of material splitting by the opening of the jaws, butas the tendency of the two slits being on a line with each other wouldbe to split the wood, it is deemedI best to form two slits on eitherside of the center one, as described and represented.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

Forming slits D, at the upper portion of the clothes clamp, asrepresented and described, in such a manner as to give an increaseddegree of elasticity `to the upper portion of the jaws C, between whichthe clothes are clamped, and enable said jaws to be opened sufficientlyto admit the clothes and line between the grooves, A in the same and todetach them therefrom, without scraping the clothes with the sides ofthe lower slit, by pressing the prongs formed by the upper slitstogether, as herein set forth.

WILLIAM H. TOWERS.

Vitnesses:

I-I. E. SMITH, G. B. SUTHERLAND.

